Climate

People

Religions

Roman Catholic, Protestant, Indigenous Mayan beliefs

Economy

Guatemala is the most populous country in Central America with a GDP per capita roughly one-half that of the average for Latin America and the Caribbean. The agricultural sector accounts for 13.5% of GDP and 30% of the labor force; key agricultural exports include coffee, sugar, bananas, and vegetables. The 1996 peace accords, which ended 36 years of civil war, removed a major obstacle to foreign investment, and since then Guatemala has pursued important reforms and macroeconomic stabilization.

Living Conditions

In 1990 it was estimated that the poorer half of the population was receiving only 60 percent of the daily minimum caloric requirements. The mortality rate for children up to age five is sixty-eight per one thousand children. Gastrointestinal and respiratory ailments take a heavy toll because of poor sanitation and poor nutrition. In rural areas, few people have access to drinkable water. Because of rural overpopulation, the urban areas have swelled with migrants.